RICHARD CHALFANT

Services will be 9:30 AM Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Knierim with the Rev. Chad Dietrich officiating. Burial will be at 3:00 PM Thursday in the Oakland Cemetery in Moulton, Iowa with full military honors conducted by the Moulton American Legion Post. Visitation will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Wednesday at the Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Fort Dodge.

Richard is survived by his children, Diane Chalfant-Drury of Urbandale, Iowa, Ricky Chalfant, David Chalfant, and Jennifer Contreras-Valdez, all of Fort Dodge; six grandchildren, Ronica, Talia, Damon, Ravon, Tyler, and Lucia Jean; brother, Don Chalfant of Carrollton, Georgia; and a sister, Sue Simmons of Omaha, Nebraska. Richard is preceded in death by his wife Jean, on January 3, 2009, and his parents.

Richard Charles Chalfant, the son of Charles and Helen (Eggers) Chalfant, was born June 11, 1940 in Webster City, Iowa and graduated in 1958 from Lincoln High School in Webster City. Richard attended Webster City Junior College and graduated from Iowa State Teachers College with a degree in music. On August 27, 1961, Richard was united in marriage to Jean Dwight in Webster City. The couple lived in Cedar Falls while Richard attended Iowa State Teachers College. His senior year at Iowa State, Richard was drafted into the United State Army and served for 20 year, retiring as a captain. Jean lived with family members while Richard was in training. Eventually, the couple lived in Virginia, North Carolina and Germany during Richard’s service. They returned to the states where they lived in Missouri and Texas. The couple purchased an acreage in the Moorland area, where Jean and the family resided while he completed his military service. The couple moved into Fort Dodge where they have lived for the past 25 years. Richard worked and later retired from A1 Home Health Care to care for his wife, Jean. Richard was a diehard Iowa Hawkeye Fan and had a passion for music and gardening. He loved musicals, plays, yard work and his vegetables and flowers gardens. But his true love was for his wife Jean, his children and especially his six grandchildren.

Richard was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Knierim and memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.